Rock Origins Slides The Great Rock Build-Up
How Earth Crafts Its Solid Shell
Inspired by "Incredible Erosion" by Samantha Z. Miller
The Phenomenon
"How do natural processes shape the Earth?"
Before we can talk about how rocks are destroyed...
...we have to understand how they are made!
Earth's Three Main Recipes
Igneous
Born from fire and liquid heat.
Sedimentary
Built from layers of time and dust.
Metamorphic
Changed by pressure and heavy weight.
Recipe #1
Igneous: The Fire Starters
Deep inside the Earth, it is so hot that rocks melt into a liquid called magma. When this liquid cools down and hardens, it becomes Igneous rock.
Hardens into crystals
Examples: Granite, Basalt, Obsidian
Magma → Cooling → Solid Rock
Sand → Mud → Pebbles → Pressure
Recipe #2
Sedimentary: The Time Layers
Over millions of years, tiny pieces of sand, mud, and shells (called sediment) settle at the bottom of oceans and rivers. The weight of the top layers squishes the bottom layers into rock.
Often contains fossils
The easiest rocks to erode!
Recipe #3
Metamorphic: The Great Change
When Igneous or Sedimentary rocks are buried deep underground, the heat and pressure "cook" them without melting them. They change into something entirely new!
"Meta" means change. "Morph" means shape.
Old Rock
New Rock
Pressure + Heat = Metamorphosis
What's Next?
Now that we have rocks... nature starts to break them down.
1
Form
2
Erode
Rock Recipes Worksheet Rock Recipes
Phenomenon: How do natural processes shape the Earth?
Name:
Date:
Before erosion can break the world down, the Earth has to build it up! Rocks are formed in three main ways. As you view the Rock Origins presentation, fill in the "recipes" below.
Recipe #1: Igneous Rock
How is it formed?
Key Vocabulary:
M_ _ _ _:
Sketch an Igneous Rock
Recipe #2: Sedimentary Rock
How is it formed?
What is sediment?
Sketch layers and a fossil
Recipe #3: Metamorphic Rock
How is it formed?
Ingredient 1:
Ingredient 2:
Sketch the "Change"
The Erosion Connection
Which of these three rock types do you think would be the easiest for water and wind to break apart? Why?
If erosion breaks down rocks into tiny pieces of sand and dirt, which rock recipe is basically made because of erosion?
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
"Nature builds mountains with heat and pressure, then carves them away with wind and rain."
Rock Origins Teacher Guide Facilitator Guide
Lesson 1: Rock Origins
Unit: Earth Shapers
Time: 45-60 Minutes
Lesson Objective
Students will identify the three main types of rock (Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic) and describe the physical processes that create them, establishing a foundation for understanding how these rocks are later broken down by erosion.
Background Knowledge
This lesson is the "Chapter 1" of our erosion unit. Based on Incredible Erosion by Samantha Z. Miller, we begin not with the destruction of land, but with its creation. Erosion is most easily understood when students recognize that different rocks have different "recipes"—some are crumbly and easy to erode, while others are hard and resistant.
Materials Needed
Rock Origins Slides Rock Recipes Worksheet (1 per student)Rock Samples (Optional: Granite, Sandstone, Marble)
Instructional Steps
1
The Hook: The Phenomenon (10 mins)
Display Slide 2 . Ask students: "If you want to understand how a sandcastle is destroyed, you first have to know how it was built. Why?" Lead the discussion toward the idea that materials (sand vs. rock) react differently to forces like wind and water. Introduce the driving question: How do natural processes shape the Earth?
2
Interactive Lecture (25 mins)
Distribute the Rock Recipes Worksheet . Use Slides 3-6 to walk through the three rock types.
Igneous: Focus on "cooling." If possible, show a piece of granite or pumice.Sedimentary: Emphasize "layers." Mention that this is where fossils are found because the process is gentle enough not to melt them.Metamorphic: Use the "cooking" metaphor. It changes but doesn't melt.
3
The Erosion Bridge (15 mins)
Display Slide 7 . Have students complete the "Erosion Connection" section on the back of their worksheet. This is a formative assessment to see if they can predict which rocks might be most vulnerable to erosion.
Teacher Tip: Sedimentary rocks are often the easiest to erode because they are made of compressed sediments. Metamorphic and Igneous are generally much harder.
Key Vocabulary for this Lesson
Magma Sediment Pressure Metamorphosis Lithification
Rock Origins Simple Slides Earth's Rock Kitchen
How the Earth Makes Rocks!
By Samantha Z. Miller
How does the Earth change?
Before we learn how rocks break...
...we have to learn how they are made!
3 Ways to Make a Rock!
🔥
Fire Rock
(Igneous)
🥪
Layer Rock
(Sedimentary)
🍪
Cooked Rock
(Metamorphic)
1
Fire Rock
Deep inside the Earth, it is very hot!
Rocks melt into hot soup called Magma. When it cools down, it gets hard and turns into rock!
🌋
Cooling Down!
🐚
Stacked Up!
2
Layer Rock
Sand, mud, and shells pile up!
They get squished together over a long, long time. This rock often has fossils inside!
3
Cooked Rock
Heat and Squeeze!
Rocks get buried deep. They don't melt, but they get "cooked" by heavy weight. They change into new rocks!
🧤
Big Change!
🌧️ 🌬️
What's Next?
Now that we have rocks... nature starts to break them!
Get ready for EROSION!
Rock Recipes Simple Worksheet My Rock Recipe Book
How does the Earth make rocks?
Name:
Date:
🔥
Fire Rock
Scientific Name: Igneous
How is it made?
Write or draw your answer here...
Draw a hot, melting rock here!
🥪
Layer Rock
Scientific Name: Sedimentary
What is inside this rock?
Draw the layers and a fossil!
🍪
Cooked Rock
Scientific Name: Metamorphic
How did it change?
Draw the rock getting squished!
🤔 Big Thinking!
If a rock is made of soft sand and mud, do you think rain and wind can break it easily?
Yes
No
Why do you think so?
Rock Origins Simple Teacher Guide Teacher Cheat Sheet
2nd Grade: Earth's Rock Kitchen
Incredible Erosion Unit
Time: 40 Minutes
💡
The Big Idea
Rocks aren't just "there"—the Earth makes them in three different ways. Knowing how they are made helps us understand why some rocks are easier for nature to break down later.
Our Rock Recipes
🔥
Fire Rock
(Igneous)
It's like hard candy . It melts, then gets hard as it cools.
🥪
Layer Rock
(Sedimentary)
It's like a sandwich . Pieces pile up and get squished together.
🍪
Cooked Rock
(Metamorphic)
It's like baking a cookie . Heat and pressure change the dough into a new shape.
What to do:
1
The Mystery (5 mins)
Show Slide 2 . Ask: "If you want to break a LEGO wall, you have to know how it was snapped together, right?" Same for rocks!
2
Picture Talk (20 mins)
Use the Simple Slides . Have students use their hands to mimic the processes:
Fire Rock: Wiggle fingers like flames, then "freeze" hard.Layer Rock: Stack hands one on top of the other.Cooked Rock: Press hands together really, really hard!
3
Recipe Cards (15 mins)
Students fill out the Simple Worksheet . Focus on the drawing sections—at this age, drawing the layers or the "squish" shows they understand the concept better than writing definitions.
Wait! Why are we doing this?
Tomorrow, we learn about Erosion . It's much easier for students to understand why "Layer Rock" (Sedimentary) breaks apart in the rain when they know it was just mud and sand squished together in the first place!
Rock Origins Simple Slides Updated The Story of the Earth
Every Rock has a Secret Tale!
Based on "Incredible Erosion" by Samantha Z. Miller
Pick Up a Rock!
"The Earth is always changing. Fast and slow."
These changes tell a story. If you pick up a rock, what story does it tell? Where did it come from?
A Giant Mystery?
An old story said a GIANT threw big rocks into the sea!
But the real story is even cooler...
👹
Giant Story Legend
🌋
BOOM!
Fire Rock Story
Some rocks are born from volcanoes!
A volcano erupts and hot liquid rock turns into hard new land. It can happen in just ONE DAY!
How Earth Changes
⚡
FAST
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
🐢
SLOW
Wind & Water Waves
💎
What's your story?
Every rock you find was made by the Earth. It might have been fire, or mud, or a great big squeeze!
Let's be Rock Detectives!
Rock Stories Simple Worksheet Updated My Earth Storybook
Every rock tells a story!
Name:
👹 The Old Story
An old story said a giant threw rocks. Draw what that giant might have looked like!
Fast or Slow?
Draw one way the Earth changes FAST and one way it changes SLOW .
⚡ FAST
(Like a volcano!)
🐢 SLOW
(Like a river!)
💎 My Favorite Rock
If you picked up a rock right now, what story do you think it would tell?
I think my rock was made by...
A Hot Volcano (Fast!)
Layers of Mud (Slow!)
A Big Squeeze (Change!)
Draw your rock and its story!
Rock Origins Book Aligned Teacher Guide Rock Detective Guide
Lesson: The Story of the Earth
Book: Incredible Erosion
Grade 2
Lesson Objective
Students will use the book Incredible Erosion to discover that every rock has a "story" of how it was made (fast or slow) and how its shape can change over time.
Reading Connections
Page 4
The Giant Legend
Discuss the story of the giant throwing rocks. Ask: "Why would people make up a story like that?" (Because the rocks look so big and out of place!). Then reveal the science: Volcanoes!
Page 8-9
Fast vs. Slow Changes
Focus on the word BOOM! Explain that a volcano can make a whole new island in just one day (Fast!). Contrast this with the "Story of the Earth" which can take millions of years (Slow).
Page 10
Guess What Happened?
Show the pictures of Split Apple Rock and Kannesteinen . Have students guess the "story" before reading the cartoon bubbles about ice and waves.
Teaching Steps
1
Read Aloud: Read pages 4, 8, and 9 together. Stop at the "Pick up a rock" section on page 9.
2
Discussion: Use the Updated Simple Slides to visualize the "Fast" volcano and the "Slow" river changes.
3
Worksheet: Students complete the "My Earth Storybook" Worksheet . They get to draw the giant and categorize Fast/Slow changes.
4
The Reveal: End with page 10. Let them "guess the story" of the split rock and the carved rock. This perfectly sets up Lesson 2: Erosion!
Questions to ask:
"If you were a giant, where would you put a rock?"
"Can you think of anything else that changes the Earth FAST?"
"What do you think will happen to a rock if waves hit it every day?"
"How does water turn into a 'rock splitter'?" (Ice)
Rock Origins Simple Slides Updated v2 The Story of the Earth
Every Rock has a Secret Tale!
Based on "Incredible Erosion" by Samantha Z. Miller
A Huge Mystery!
Look at this giant rock in New Mexico. It is 2,000 meters tall!
"If we put it on its side, it would be almost 20 football fields long!"
🏔️
Shiprock, New Mexico
Who Made It?
👹
A Giant threw it?
🦅
A Giant Bird made it?
The Navajo people call this a sacred site. They have wonderful stories about it!
🌋
BOOM!
Volcano Rock
Today, we know a volcano formed it!
Hot liquid rock from inside the Earth gets hard. It can make a whole new island in just ONE DAY!
How Earth Changes
⚡
FAST
Volcanoes (1 Day!)
🐢
SLOW
Waves (Many Years!)
💎
Be a Rock Detective!
Every rock you find has a secret. Was it born in fire? Or carved by waves?
Pick up a rock and listen to its story!
Land Taker Slides LAND TAKER
All About Erosion
What is Erosion?
Erosion is the moving of pieces of Earth from one place to another.
It's like Earth's moving company!
Water Power
Rain and rivers wash away dirt and small rocks.
"Water flows, and the ground goes!"
RIVERS
Windy Sand
Wind Power
Strong wind picks up sand and dust and blows it away.
"Blow, blow, watch it go!"
Fast or Slow?
Soft Dirt
Moves EASILY!
FAST
Hard Rock
Takes a LONG time!
SLOW
Land Taker's Art
Erosion makes special shapes in the land.
Canyons
Sea Arches
River Banks
Let's Remember!
1
Erosion = MOVING Earth pieces
2
Caused by Water, Wind, and Ice
3
Moves DIRT fast and ROCK slow
Erosion Detective Worksheet EROSION DETECTIVE
Name:
Date:
"Follow the clues to find the Land Taker!"
1
Who are the Land Takers?
Circle the three things that cause erosion (the things that MOVE Earth pieces).
WAVE
FIRE
WIND
ICE
2
Fast or Slow?
Which one erodes faster? Draw a line from the material to the speed.
SOFT DIRT
HARD ROCK
SLOW
FAST
3
Erosion in Action
Draw what happens to a dirt hill after a big rain storm!
BEFORE (Nice Hill)
AFTER (The Land Taker Was Here!)
Did you know? Canyons are made by rivers eroding rock over millions of years!
Erosion Expert Teacher Guide EROSION EXPERT
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Grade
2
Big Idea
Students will understand that erosion is the process of moving Earth materials from one place to another. They will identify the primary "Land Takers" (water, wind, ice) and observe how different materials like dirt and rock respond to these forces at different speeds.
Essential Question
"Where does the ground go when it moves?"
Key Vocabulary
Erosion, Land Taker, Water, Wind, Ice, Fast, Slow
Materials Needed
Land Taker Slides
Erosion Detective Worksheet
A tray of dry dirt/sand
Spray bottle with water
Lesson Roadmap
1
The Hook: The Moving Mystery
Show a picture of a muddy river or a dusty windstorm. Ask: "Is the ground staying still, or is it going somewhere?" Introduce the term Erosion and our nickname for it: The Land Taker .
2
Direct Instruction (Slides)
Go through the Land Taker Slides . Emphasize that erosion is about movement. Use the "moving company" analogy.
Discussion Prompt:
"If you were a raindrop, what would be easier to move: a grain of sand or a giant rock?"
3
Mini-Demo: Rain on the Hill
Create a small hill of dirt on a tray. Use the spray bottle to simulate rain. Ask students to observe where the dirt goes (it moves down the hill and gathers at the bottom).
✨ Kinesthetic Action: Have students wiggle their fingers like rain falling and then "scoot" their hands to show the dirt moving.
4
Practice & Review
Hand out the Erosion Detective Worksheet . Walk around and help students identify the "Land Takers." When they get to the Before/After drawing, encourage them to show "paths" where the water washed the dirt away.
Common Misconceptions
Students often confuse Weathering (breaking rock) with Erosion (moving rock). Focus strictly on the "moving" aspect today.
They might think erosion only happens during big storms. Remind them it happens slowly every day with wind!
Earth Power Slides Earth Power Words!
Talking Like a Rock Scientist
Vocabulary Review
🌋
Volcano
The Land Maker.
A mountain that shoots out hot, liquid rock. When it cools, it makes NEW land!
🔥
BOOM! NEW LAND!
💨 🌊
TAKING IT AWAY!
🏔️
Erosion
The Land Taker.
When wind or water pick up pieces of rock and soil and carry them away.
How does land move?
🌬️
WIND
Blows it away!
🌧️
WATER
Washes it away!
🚣
Flooding
The Water Rush.
When too much rain falls and water covers land that is usually dry.
💧 💧 💧 💧
TOO MUCH WATER!
🧽
EARTH'S SPONGE!
🦆
Wetlands
The Water Saver.
Land that is always soaked with water. They act like sponges to stop flooding!
Earth Power Worksheet Earth Power Words
My Vocabulary Match-Up
Name:
🧩 The Secret Names
Draw a line to match the Power Word to its Secret Name!
Volcano
Erosion
Flooding
Wetlands
The Land Taker
Earth's Sponge
The Land Maker
The Water Rush
🌊🌬️ Two Ways to Move Land
Erosion happens when wind or water move pieces of the Earth. Color or circle the right word!
🌬️
I use my breath to blow sand away!
Wind
Water
🌧️
I wash dirt down the hill!
Wind
Water
🧽 Earth's Sponge
Draw a picture of Wetlands . Make sure to show some water and some plants!
Wetlands help stop flooding because they soak up extra water!
Earth Power Simple Teacher Guide Teacher Cheat Sheet
2nd Grade: Earth Power Words
Vocabulary Review Lesson
Time: 40 Minutes
🗣️
Lesson Goal
To review and reinforce key Earth science vocabulary using simple, memorable analogies that explain the "job" of each process (making land, taking land, or saving land).
The Power Word Key
Volcano
The Land Maker . Adds new rock/land quickly.
Erosion
The Land Taker . Carries pieces away using wind or water.
Flooding
The Water Rush . Too much rain covering dry land.
Wetlands
The Water Saver . Act like sponges to stop floods.
Instructional Steps:
1
Analogies Talk (15 mins)
Use the Earth Power Slides . For each word, ask the students to come up with an action:
Volcano: Hands go up like a peak, then explode out!Erosion: Sweep hands across the desk like wind/waves.Flooding: Hands rise up from the floor.Wetlands: Squeeze hands like a sponge.
2
Match-Up Challenge (15 mins)
Distribute the Earth Power Worksheet . Encourage students to find the "Secret Names" first. (Tip: "Wetlands" and "Sponge" are usually the easiest to connect first!).
3
Sponge Demo (10 mins)
If time allows, show a real sponge soaking up water to represent Wetlands . Ask: "If we didn't have this sponge, where would the water go?" (Onto the dry land/flooding).
Quick Check
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to tell you one thing that makes land and one thing that takes land.
Earth Power Reference Sheet Earth Power Words
My Science Vocabulary Packet
Unit: Earth Shapers
Grade 2
Scientists use special words to talk about how the Earth changes. Here are the "Power Words" for our lesson. Use these pages to help you remember!
🌋
Volcano
The Land Maker
A mountain that shoots out hot rock. It cools down and makes new land!
🌬️ 🌊
Erosion
The Land Taker
When wind or water pick up pieces of rock and soil and carry them away.
🌧️ 🚣
Flooding
The Water Rush
When too much rain falls and covers land that is usually dry.
🧽
Wetlands
The Water Saver
Land that is soaked with water. They act like sponges to stop flooding!
Fast vs. Slow Changes
⚡
Fast
Volcanoes and earthquakes can change the Earth in just one day !
🐢
Slow
Waves and rivers can take thousands of years to carve a rock!
Incredible Erosion | Vocabulary Reference Sheet
Earth Power Single Worksheet Earth Power Words
My Vocabulary Match-Up
Name:
🧩 The Secret Names
Volcano
Erosion
Flooding
Wetlands
The Land Taker
Earth's Sponge
The Land Maker
The Water Rush
🌊🌬️ Erosion: Circle the word!
🌬️
I blow sand away!
Wind
Water
🌧️
I wash dirt away!
Wind
Water
🧽 Earth's Sponge
Draw Wetlands in this big space! (Show plants and water)
Wetlands act like sponges to stop flooding!
Earth Power Single Worksheet Final Earth Power Words
Vocabulary Match-Up & Review
Name:
🧩 The Secret Names
Volcano
Erosion
Flooding
Wetlands
The Land Taker
Earth's Sponge
The Land Maker
The Water Rush
🌊🌬️ Erosion: Circle the word!
🌬️
"I blow sand away!"
Wind
Water
🌧️
"I wash dirt away!"
Wind
Water
🧽 Earth's Sponge
Draw Wetlands here! Show the water soaking into the plants.
Wetlands help stop flooding!
